Strivectin Wrinkle Re-Code Line Transforming Melting Serum

When it comes to reading about a “melting serum” you kind of have to see it to believe it, so here’s a picture.

This Strivectin serum comes out of the bottle really thick, and then melts into a slick serum when you rub your fingers together. It’s shiny, clear, but very shiny and it just smooths out any wrinkles or texture on your skin mostly by providing it with tons of hydration.  

Aside from providing tons of hydration which can help improve the look of wrinkles, this serum also includes niacinamide, antioxidants, and a peptide to improve the look and texture of the skin through preventing antioxidant damage.  

You can get antioxidants and other anti-wrinkle ingredients in other products, but this is the only one that I’ve tried that has a nice thick texture that makes skin look better immediately.  Your skin will be plump and hydrated and will stay that way thanks to the thick texture of the serum, and most serums and creams, even, are too thick to make a lasting impact on wrinkled skin.

Pick it up at Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique for $79 right now.  Normally $99.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged | Leave a comment

Live Clean Rebalancing Shampoo and Conditioner

It’s definitely that time of year where the warmer weather is starting to have an impact on our skin and that includes hair that’s just a bit oilier and needs something different.  Some people think that it could be a sign that your hair is getting used to your shampoo, but really, the climate makes such a difference.

It’s time to introduce something into your routine that will take care of oiliness without really drying your hair out – especially if your hair is already dry, or colour-treated or curly, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t mess with that texture while you’re trying to control the oiliness.

So there’s Live Clean’s new Mineral Clay Rebalancing Shampoo and Conditioner.  The whole line has been formulated to make sure that there’s some balance between the top and the bottom of your hair shaft.  The addition of mineral clay helps the products absorb excess oil so that nothing looks greasy, but moisturizing ingredients help maintain the texture of the rest of the hair.

I’ve written about Live Clean a few times: I love their concept of clean beauty products at affordable prices.  Everything is sulfate-free, and silicone free, so although you’ll notice that the shampoo lathers and cleans, it’s more gentle, and the silicone-free conditioner still leaves your hair with a silky-smooth feel that you’re used to from traditional conditioners, but without the potential build-up.  

Available at Shopper’s Drug Mart, Walmart and Well.ca. 350ml mL, suggested retail: $7.49 to $7.99.

Posted in Shampoo and Conditioner | Tagged | Leave a comment

Bio-Oil Celebrates an Anniversary

Bio-Oil is celebrating its 10 year anniversary in Canada this year!  Did you know that it has been around for that long?!

Looking back, it’s kind of amazing that Bio-Oil was at the beginning of the oil trend.  Now, we’re used to seeing oils in makeup, face care, and of course for the body – there are even primers that are oil-based and they actually work – but Bio-Oil came before it all, and that’s kind of amazing.

It’s the original oil that was recommended for scars and stretch marks before there was any other treatment.  The oil is mainly a mineral oil base which is enriched with vitamin A, E, and and other herbal oils so create a blend that applies skin care ingredients while sealing in moisturizer.  It’s very light because it’s mineral oil, and best used on skin that’s still damp from the shower.

Pick Bio-Oil up at the drugstore, along with this cute little Bio-Oil mini that’s 25ml and perfect if you just want to treat smaller scars or using on the go.  

Available at drugstores. 

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged | 1 Comment

Fragrance Friday: Acqua di Parma Chinotto di Liguria

 

Now that the warmer weather is here, I definitely need to update my fragrance selection so that it’s not something too warm.  Instead, I prefer cool fragrances that are light on the skin and don’t overpower, but still can combat any natural odors that might not be the best.

My latest addition is the Chinotto di Liguria from Italian brand Acqua di Parma.  This unisex fragrance has the citrus fruit Chinotto as its heart. What makes chinotto interesting is that it’s a bittersweet fruit rather than a very sweet one, and that makes Chinotto di Liguria quite fresh and not gourmande at all.  

There are notes of chinotto in the opening of it, when you first spray it, but those die down and the heart notes of jasmine and fresh geranium come through.  Patchouli and Musk make up the base notes, but because this is an eau de toilette, it doesn’t last long enough on me to actually have the depth of musk and patchouli.  I like that I get the freshness of the scent, because that makes it perfect for summer. It rather reminds me of a cologne or soap, and with that comes with a feeling of demure calm.  

This is not a bold vibrant scent, but that’s not what I want for the summer.  For summer nights, maybe, but for summer days, this is absolutely perfect.

Available at Holt Renfrew.

$172 for 150ml and $113 for 75ml.

 

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Dior Summer Nails

Whether it’s raining or sunny out, Dior’s summer nail polishes are what summer nails are made of, especially this juicy colour, Pow 431.  I mean, I’m not usually one for bright bright colours, but I couldn’t resist putting this on my fingertips. The golden orange shimmer gives this lots of warmth and with a top coat, these nails just look ready to burst.

This colour is part of Dior’s 2018 summer collection, so it’s limited edition.

The other two nail polishes in the collection are Blop, and Splash.

Available at Dior counters. $34.

Posted in Summer 2018 | Tagged | Leave a comment

New Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation

I love a foundation that has SPF in it, because it lets me go easy on the sunscreen, especially on days that are cloudy.  @BobbiBrown’s new Long-Wear Weightless Foundation has SPF 15 in it which is great for added daily sun protection on your skin, plus it is long-wearing so hopefully, you’re getting sun protection all day long.

Yes, I guess that’s a confession that I don’t always wear sunscreen on cloudy days, and just reach for a foundation that has SPF in it.

This foundation not only has SPF in it, but it’s also a beautiful gel formula that’s mostly matte without being powdery.  I think that it just looks like regular skin – satiny but not greasy or shiny. This being a long-wear product, it does set on your skin pretty quickly, but there’s still lots of time to really work with it.  I’ve tried using my fingers to apply it, a brush, and my Beauty Blender and they all work. My fingers and the Beauty Blender really are the best because they give the most natural coverage.

The claims are that this lasts through humidity and sweat.  I can vouch for humidity but it didn’t last through an Orange Theory workout which is okay.  It was intense, and I was constantly wiping the sweat off my face, but that’s to be expected.

I will say that it mostly lasts through a 12 hour day, which is rare for my oily skin.

And what keeps me coming back to Bobbi Brown foundations are the colours available.  There’s lots of them in skin-true shades. The pigments in this foundation are in a gel base, so they come through clean and true with no oxidizing throughout the day.  I got 4.5 Warm Natural, which is usually the right shade for me, but in this one I found that it was a touch dark, and I could go down to 4 Natural instead. 

I love the colour, and I keep reaching for this foundation. It has a thick consistency, but it’s still easy to blend and doesn’t look mask-like. You can wear a little or a lot, and because the colour matches my skin so closely, I can even just use it for spot treatments.

$55.

Posted in Spring 2018 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Estee Lauder DayWear Eye

One of the most common questions that I get is how to get rid of dark circles, or how to cover them up.  Some of the time, there’s no much you can do. Dark circles are inevitable if you’re not getting enough sleep, if you don’t drink enough water, or if you’re just genetically prone to getting them.  The best thing you can do is take care of your skin and body overall, and everything else will follow. Most of the time. I mean, one can hope.

But that being said, one of the best eye creams that I’ve tried recently is this Estee Lauder DayWear Eye Cooling Anti-Oxidant Moisture GelCreme  which is at once light and fresh. Because I’m just using this under the eye, a little bit goes a long way and it instantly refreshes that dry and tired skin.  It’s great for depuffing and revitalizing, and for putting moisture back into your skin and keeping it there. The best part is that it doesn’t gunk up or peel if you add more product on top, which means that I’m more prone to use it daily so that I actually see the benefits.

If you’re looking for an eye cream that actually works, this is it.  I don’t have very dark circles so I don’t know if it’s really going to work for those, but it’s definitely going to be the right thing for dry delicate skin under the eye.

$52 at the Estee Lauder Counter.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Universkin Update

A couple of months ago, I made a video about Universkin customized skin serums.  Each serum is mixed on the spot for your own skin concerns and because it’s bespoke, the ingredients are tailored to what your skin needs.  Because the serums are made fresh and without any preservatives, each one is made to last about 2 months of daily use.

Well, two months goes by pretty quickly, and I got myself 2 new serums – one for day and one for night.

The day one, we kept pretty much the same.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Ingredients like Vitamin C are something that every skin type needs, because it helps prevent environmental damage.  We also kept the Zinc because it controls oil production, and the SOD which is the superoxyde dimutase because it helps with the hyper-pigmentation that I still battle with.

To be honest, my morning formula is amazing.  I’ve noticed that I don’t even get hormonal breakouts when I’m using this, and my skin doesn’t look as oily.  I can get my makeup to stay a bit longer without using a primer, just because the zinc is still in there, and I love that I’m also getting a dose of Vitamin C, which I think is really important.

My night time formula changed up a bit to provide more of a peeling effect.  Arbutin, Kojic acid, and Retinol, of course. I’ve noticed that my skin is brighter already and I’m hoping that this round will have what I need to make more of an impact.

When I first started using the serums, I used them exclusively to see what kind of a difference they could make, but now I also sometimes top my night serum with more retinol, and sometimes I use a plain but stronger vitamin C serum in the morning.  I do like the simplicity of the morning and night serums and I love that I can apply them without worrying about layering.

And I’m definitely using sunscreen everyday so that I can maintain the results that I’m getting.

You can find Universkin serums at dermatologist’s offices.  I got mine formulated at Market Mall Dermatology. Here is their contact information:

Market Mall Dermatology

446, 4935 40th Ave NW, Calgary, AB T3A 2N1

(587) 774-3376

Watch my original video about the Universkin serums here.

 

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Meet: Woodlot

I love discovering new brands of beauty and wellness, and my latest find is Woodlot, a health and beauty company out of Vancouver, British Columbia.  Wikipedia tells me that Woodlot is “a parcel of a woodland or forest capable of small-scale production of forest products as well as recreational uses like bird watching, bushwalking, and wildflower appreciation.” and so it makes sense that this brand creates products that evoke the simplicity and beauty of the forest.  

Like this pretty candle  that’s made of hand-poured soy and coconut wax on cotton wicks. The wax is infused with pure essential oils which makes the scent pure – in this case fir, cedar wood, pine and orange!  The fir, cedar wood and pine are fresh yet woodsy, but the orange oil is uplifting which is exactly what my house needed after some spring cleaning.

You can find Woodlot online.

$39 for this 13.5 oz candle.

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

L’Occitane Amande Delightful Body Balm

Let’s be honest, we use body butter as much for the scent as for it’s amazingly luxe texture, and the one we’re obsessed with right now is the Amande Body Balm from L’Occitane.  

The Amande scent is an intriguing mixture of bitter and sweet.  At once gourmande but not dessert-like. More like something exotic than something that’s run of the mill.  It’s kind of an addictive scent. You smell it once and you can’t stop smelling it again and again.

Not only is this body balm enriched with pure almond oil, but it’s also got shea butter in it which adds to the moisturizing properties.  There’s also some dimethicone in this, which adds to the soft powdery feel that you get when you’re done rubbing this into your skin. I love body products that have a bit of this in there because your skin feels soft and smooth to the touch after you’re done moisturizing.  You’ll get smooth glossy skin that looks and feels amazing.

$44 at L’Occitane boutiques and online.

Posted in For the Body | Tagged | Leave a comment